Method of manufacturing a cheese or milk product by molding

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method of molding a cheese or milk product, wherein the method comprises:  
     a) casting a melt of said product into at least one mold;  
     b) cooling to cause at least a peripheral layer of the melt to congeal;  
     c) reheating the mold(s) to soften a surface region of said peripheral layer; and  
     d) unmolding the product.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.09/678,996, filed Oct. 4, 2000, which is hereby incorporated herein inits entirety by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing acheese or milk product by molding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] There exist various methods that are used for making cheese ormilk products.

[0004] One of those methods consists in casting hot melted cheese intomolds of aluminum or injected or thermoformed plastic. Under suchcircumstances, the mold also serves as final packaging for the consumer.That method does not enable the product to be coated after it has beencast.

[0005] There also exist methods of molding milk products or cheese inrecyclable molds, in which case the products ready for unmolding need tobe sufficiently firm to enable them to be extracted by mechanicalpressure or by vibration, or indeed by blowing air. Those methodsgenerally require the use of unmolding agents.

[0006] In order to manufacture a product which is provided with a stickfor holding it, suggestions have been made to cast the hot melt into athermoformed plastics shell having the stick placed therein prior tocasting. Furthermore, since sealing is provided by the stick coming intocontact with the shell, it is necessary for the stick to be very simpleand cylindrical or prismatic in shape. In addition, as mentioned above,in that kind of technique, the product cannot be coated.

[0007] Suggestions have also been made to make products by extrusionwith a stick being put into place before or after slicing. That methodis suitable only for making products having a two-dimensional shape thatis the result of the profile of the die used and of the slicing system.

[0008] There also exist shaping methods in which the material is pressedinto a mold, after which the product is ejected by mechanical pressureor by blowing air.

[0009] That method is usable only for milk or cheese products havingtexture that is strongly cohesive and elastic, and it is unsuitable fortextures having little cohesion (creamy or crumbly).

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention seeks to provide a method enabling productsto be made with a desired shape, and which is particularly suitable fortextures that are not mechanically strong (creamy or crumbly) e.g. aprocessed cheese of fondant texture.

[0011] To this end, the invention provides a method of molding a cheeseor milk product, wherein the method comprises:

[0012] a) casting a melt of said product into at least one mold;

[0013] b) cooling to cause at least a peripheral layer of the melt tocongeal;

[0014] c) reheating the mold(s) to soften a surface region of saidperipheral layer; and

[0015] d) unmolding the product.

[0016] Advantageously, the method includes a step, after casting a) andpreferably during cooling b), of putting into place a stick for holdingthe product.

[0017] After unmolding d), the method can include coating e) theproduct.

[0018] In particular, this coating can be performed by dipping, inparticular by dipping in a bath whose temperature lies in the range 20°C. to 90° C.

[0019] It is particularly advantageous for the coating of the product tobe accompanied by projecting solid pieces of size lying in the range 1mrn to 4 rom, for example, which pieces become fixed to the coating.

[0020] By way of example, the solid pieces may be selected from driedfruit and/or dehydrated fruit and/or vegetables and/or spices and/orflavoring.

[0021] Preferably, the coating is made out of a material, in particularone that gels or is solid when cold, which does not adhere to a materialfor packaging the product, such as a plastics tray.

[0022] The method may implement a step after the unmolding d), and whereappropriate after the coating e), of packaging the product under amodified atmosphere.

[0023] The casting may be performed into at least one recyclable mold,and at a temperature of at least 50° C.

[0024] Said cooling b) may be performed in a brine whose temperaturelies in the range −10° C. to −40° C.

[0025] The cooling b) may be performed in such a manner that thetemperature of the product, at least in said congealed peripheral layer,lies in the range −4° C. to −20° C.

[0026] The reheating c) may be performed by dipping in water at atemperature lying in the range 15° C. to 60° C.

[0027] During unmolding, the temperature of the product, at least in theportion of the peripheral layer that remains congealed, advantageouslylies in the range −2° C. to −18° C.

[0028] In a preferred implementation, the casting a) is performed in aplurality of stages so as to make a product built up of a plurality oflayers and/or a product having a filling.

[0029] The invention also provides a soft cheese or milk product made bymolding and presenting a dry extract content lying in the range 25% to50%, fat content in the dry extract lying in the range 30% to 75% byweight, and a pH preferably lying in the range 4.8 to 6, which productmay include a coating that imparts mechanical strength and/or non-stickproperties to the product when in packaging such as a tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appearbetter on reading the following description given by way of non-limitingexample and with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0031]FIG. 1 is a diagram representing the operation of casting andcooling the melt; and

[0032]FIGS. 2a and 2 b are respectively a perspective view and a sectionview of a product of the invention.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The invention applies to any soft or processed cheese that can becast while hot, and more generally to any cheese or milk product, inparticular of creamy texture, that can be cast while hot.

[0034] A melt is initially prepared in a bowl with a stirrer, withstirring time lying, for example, in the range 4 minutes (min) to 30 minat a temperature greater than 75° C. Thereafter, the melt is cast intomolds 2, e.g. molds made of stainless steel or plastics material, so asto form individual products 1 of weight lying, for example, in the range5 grams (g) to 200 g. While casting is taking place, the temperature ofthe melt remains greater than about 50° C.

[0035] The molds 2 containing the melt are then cooled, e.g. in afood-grade brine bath at a temperature lying in the range −10° C. to−40° C. so as to cause the product to congeal at least in part aroundits periphery at a temperature lying in the range −4° C. to −20° C. Thiscooling operation advantageously lasts for less than 3 min, e.g. in therange 2 min to 3 min, at least for products that are provided with astick 11 for holding, with the stick being put into place during thiscooling step at a moment that is selected so that the viscosity of thesolidifying material is sufficient to hold in place a stick that isinserted vertically.

[0036] Thereafter, the molds 2 are re-heated by being dipped in water ata temperature lying in the range about 15° C. to 60° C., therebyenabling the surface of the product to remelt and allowing the productto be unmolded while nevertheless ensuring that it remains rigid becausethere still remains at least a surface layer, e.g. having a thickness ofat least a few millimeters that remains congealed, e.g. at a temperaturelying in the range −2° C. to −18° C., thereby preventing any sticking ordeformation of the product while it is being unmolded.

[0037] A coating can then be applied to the product, in particular bydipping it in a coating bath at a temperature lying in the range about20° C. to 90° C.

[0038] Contact between the hot coating material and the cold surface ofthe product causes the coating material to solidify immediately oralmost immediately.

[0039] The coating 15 surrounding the core 14 of the individual products12, optionally fitted with their sticks 11 for holding, can itself be ofa nature that is different from the nature of the coated product, forexample a milk-based fat, a vegetable fat, or an optionally sweetenedgel preparation.

[0040] A particular use for the coating is that it subsequently holdstogether the core 14, and also provides it with uniform visualappearance, while the product is being stored in a non-congealed state,in particular at temperature lying in the range 2° C. to 8° C. (normaltemperatures for storing fresh milk products).

[0041] In addition, on eating the product, the consumer perceivescontrast between the coating 15 which is harder and the core which iscreamy or crumbly, for example, thereby producing an organolepticsensation that is agreeable.

[0042] The stick 11 can be deposited continuously in the product 1during the cooling stage. The stick can be made of wood or of plasticand it can also serve as a medium for promotional material. It enablesthe consumer to take hold of the product in hygienic manner.

[0043] It should also be observed that the coating 15, e.g. a gelledmaterial, serves to prevent the product from sticking to its packaging,generally a tray of plastics material.

[0044] Making the coating 15 by means of a hot dip also enables smallpieces to be fixed to the surface of the product, e.g. pieces of a sizelying in the range 1 millimeter (rom) to 4 rom and blown onto theproducts, for example. These small pieces can be dried fruit and/ordehydrated fruit and/or vegetables and/or spices and flavoring. Theyserve to give the product an original appearance and to influence itsorganoleptic properties.

[0045] The method enables products to be made in a variety ofthree-dimensional shapes, with or without a stick, and that would bedifficult to make using traditional methods.

[0046] In particular, the product of the invention is advantageous whenusing substances that are not cohesive, being of a fondant texture, e.g.processed cheeses or substances with little intrinsic strength.

[0047] The invention applies in particular to soft or processed cheesethat can be cast when hot, having a dry extract lying in the range 25%to 50%, and a fat content in the dry extract lying in the range 30% to75% by weight, and pH lying in the range 4.8 to 6.

[0048] The invention makes it possible, in particular for substanceshaving high water content (greater than or equal to 50% by weight) tomake molded products while avoiding the need to use an unmolding agent,and to do so even for textures that are creamy and sticky.

[0049] Another advantage of the invention is that the products can havelow gel content since the method does not require such additives to beused to reinforce the mechanical properties of the core substance.

EXAMPLE I

[0050] A processed soft cheese having 42% dry extract, 68% by weight fatin the dry extract, and a pH of about 5.6, was made using fresh curds,milk proteins, emulsifying salts, and texturing agent.

[0051] Heating was performed at 90° C. The melt was then cast at atemperature lying in the range 75° C. to 80° C. into recyclable molds ofstainless steel and of rounded shape which were dipped in calciumchloride brine at a temperature lying in the range −20° C. to −40° C.The cheese began to cool at 60° C. to 65° C. and a plastic stickrepresenting a promotional character was inserted automatically. In lessthan 3 minutes, the melt had congealed completely or in part at atemperature lying in the range −7° C. to −15° C. The mold was thenwarmed by water at 20° C. and the periphery of the product softenedinstantly or quasi-instantly, thereby enabling the product to beextracted from its mold.

[0052] The product was then coated by being dipped at 85° C. in amilk-based preparation having 28% by weight dry extract (fresh curds,milk proteins, emulsifying salts, thickening agent).

[0053] Contact between the hot coating and the cold surface of theproduct caused the coated material to solidify immediately. The presenceof a thickening agent allowed the coating to gel, thereby impartingmechanical strength thereto and also non-stick properties relative tothe packaging for the product. The thickness of the coating obtained inthis way lay in the range 0.5 mm to 2 mm, for example. The product wasthen transported and packaged in a thermoformed plastics cell sealedwith a membrane and containing a protective atmosphere. The product wassuitable for storage at a temperature lying in the range 2° C. to 8° C.The product had a creamy texture and a taste of fresh cream.

EXAMPLE II

[0054] A processed cheese was made having 46% dry extract, 50% by weightof fat in the dry extract, and a pH of about 5.6, using Emmenthal,Gouda, Cheddar, or Maasdam, milk proteins, butter, emulsifying salts,and whey powder.

[0055] The product was then coated by being dipped in a milk preparationat 85° C. having 28% by weight dry extract (pressed cheese, butter, milkproteins, and texturing agent).

[0056] Thereafter the method was identical to that of Example I(solidifying the coating, gelling, etc.).

EXAMPLE III

[0057] A sweet processed cheese preparation was made having 45% dryextract, 60% by weight fat in the dry extract and a pH of about 5.6,using fresh curds, milk protein, sugar, fruit flavoring and pulp,emulsifying salts, and texturing agents.

[0058] Thereafter the method was identical to that of Example I.

1. A molded food product comprising a core formed of creamy or crumblysoft cheese or non-frozen milk product wherein its dry extract contentlies in the range 25% to 50%, its fat content in the dry extract lies inthe range 30% to 75% by weight, and its pH lies in the range 4.8 to 6,said core being molded into a predetermined three-dimensional shape, anda coating surrounding said core and imparting mechanical strength and/ornon-stick properties to the molded food product.
 2. A product accordingto claim 1, having a coating imparting mechanical strength and/ornon-stick properties to the product in packaging.
 3. A product accordingto claim 2 in which the product is in a non-congealed state at atemperature in the range of 2° C. to 8° C. and is held together by saidcoating.
 4. A product according to claim 1 including a stick extendingfrom the food product.
 5. A product according to claim 1 wherein saidcoating is of a harder consistency than said core.